Does anyone own a radar detector?

[PhishWithLemon99]

I'm thinking of getting one, and I'm wondering if they are a good value or a total waste of money.

Thanks.

[LincolnMcGrath]

1. yes and no

I have a nice high tech new one. I will help if there is other traffic. If you are the only car, watch out. Instant-On radar/laser can still get you.

[PhishWithLemon99]

2. Yeah...

I've heard that the police can easily get you by just keeping the radar gun off until you pass, and then turn it on and nail you.

I live in a pretty congested area, so I'm never the only one on the road. I still have to be careful of local cops and their VASCAR, since only State Police in PA can use radar.

[ldoolin]

3. I used to have one

Waste of money, in my opinion. In urban areas lots of stray signals set off false alerts on the radar detector to the point where you quickly get tired of it beeping and turn it off; while in rural areas actual police radar is often not detected until you are right on them and they turn on their radar. By then it's too late.

I've found that a CB radio kept tuned to channel 19 is far better than a radar detector. Just listen to the "smokey reports"; I typically know about upcoming speed traps miles before I get there.

[PhishWithLemon99]

5. I'd be using mine mostly on the highway...

I travel between Harrisburg and Philadelphia weekly on the Turnpike, which is pretty heavily traveled, and there are always State Police speed traps around. Radar isn't really an issue in PA's urban areas, since local cops don't use it and the State Police never do speed traps there.

The model I'm looking at allows the user to adjust the sensitivity of the detector for urban or more rural areas so it doesn't go off constantly.

[Lefty48197]

4. Don't buy a cheap one

The technology will be outdated before you plug it in. The newest ( and most expensive) radar detectors can pick up a signal from the "easy on" radar/laser guns. If you're a serious speeder, then bury it in your grill.
A CB radio tuned to ch 19 is pretty effective on the highways too.

[CanuckAmok]

6. I've read lately that many PDs are switching to laser speed guns.

So radar may become a thing of the past. Ironically, at least here in Canada, the most vocal opponents of Ka radar guns (which are the most widely used ones) are the Police Officers Associations, who have determined that being in close-quarters to these devices for several hours a day can be dangerous to an officer's health. The laser guns, however, emit very low radiation in any direction than the very narrow and controlable beam, and are more accurate than radar guns.

I have heard that, for the time being, it's still legal to buy a laser jammer device, but I'm sure they will be made illegal once more police forces start using laser guns.

Check out Consumer Reports magazine, and some of the better automotive magazines, and do some reading before you buy.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. I had one. I don't think they are worth it for the reasons people

have already stated with ONE exception..here in California, cops have their radar detectors set on their cars to nail APPROACHING cars as well..so in that regard it worked but not against a gun..and they make a bigger difference in traffic than solo..and nothing is going to help if a cop is manually clocking you and shows up to testify.

Your best bet if you are going to speed is to NOT do it in the far left lane, or on a multilane hiway in the two far left lanes...as that is where 75% of speeders are nailed.

[The_Joker]

8. Complete waste of money

Folks, a cop doesn't even need to wait until you are past him, or any of that jazz. An official police radar gun has a range of 1000 Yards. That's over half a mile people. He can read you like a book WAY before your Radio Shack piece of crap ever even knows he's there.

Save your money, my friend. Just take your speeding ticket and go to court. 90 percent of the time, the cop who wrote it never shows up. If that happens, you get off.

[Deja Q]

9. No, here is why:

You'd need to spend $200 for a detector that has any range worth having (1+ miles range). The sub-$200 models, especially the sub-$100 models are junk. Period. Pitiful range, pitiful sensors that couldn't detect a mouse farting, and chock full of utterly useless features and gimmicks that don't work well either. Definitely avod Whistler! Cobra's pretty pointless unless you buy a higher priced model.

Don't forget to check out POP along with instant-on detection. Anything detector less than $200 won't be reliable with these surprise detection methods designed to be missed by a detector...

Escort is a great brand as they also make radars for cops, but as more cops move to laser...

Laser detection, even if they put in 50,000 laser sensors, are useless unless the beam happens to hit the sensor (good luck!). If you can't put the sensors near the license plate or headlight well (or any reflective surface on the front and back of the car), forget it. Besides, once the laser bounces back they've got you.

I might buy a cheap model just so false alarms will keep me awake during long travels, but otherwise they're pretty much pointless.

If you live in Washington DC or Virginia, all radar detectors are illegal.

[The_Joker]

10. Bingo, HypnoToad

You hit the nail on the head. Most radar detectors -- and all lasar detectors -- are utterly useless.

The best way to avoid a speeding ticket is, natch, to keep your speed to only about 10 miles over the limit. If you get that ticket, as I said before, your best bet is to go to court.

By the way, PhishWithLemon (the fellow who started this post), good to see a Phisherman out there. Looking forward to the boys' New Year's Eve show tomorrow.

[PhishWithLemon99]

13. I wish I had tickets...

and a means of getting there. The rumors throughout the scene are that this will be their last show. I'll try to get the tapes of it. I own every one of their cd's, except for some of the Live ones, and I've only been to two of their shows (7/30/03 and 7/31/03, both in Camden NJ).

[ironflange]

11. Here's a sure-fire way to beat radar/laser traps

Obey the speed limit. Why is everybody in such a hurry anyway?

[PhishWithLemon99]

12. I think it's a psychological thing...

It feels like youre going so much slower at 65 than at 75, even though the difference in speed isn't all that great and it won't get you to your destination much quicker. I'm not a heavy speeder. Usually I go 5-10 over the limit, but around the city I just go with traffic.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

14. Well if you're following the driving laws...

You wouldn't need to know where the cops are. :eyes:

[flama]

15. HeeHee!

I had a radar detector once (actually, twice).

Someone broke my car window to steal the first one. I was stupid enough to call the cops. My brother bought me a second one since I was taking him to a bar when the first one was stolen.

About the only thing my detector sensed was automatic door openers on stores. I called it my shopping center alarm. ;-)

After following speed limits with my van, I've now got a small profile car I can easily slip between the larger targets. That's the secret. I've hidden between trucks and SUV's and gone 85 in a 70 mph zone.

Another hint - if you're driving through a state where detectors are illegal, don't hit your brakes when it goes off. The cops pull over every brake light they can when they spray the traffic. Then they get really nasty when they catch you.

[PhishWithLemon99]

16. I wish we had 70 mph zones...

Pennsylvania didn't even get 65 mph zones until about 8 years ago...and they were really controversial. And this state really likes to lower their speed limits. There have recently been a lot of deaths along I-81 near Carlisle from people crossing the grass median and hitting oncoming traffic. So instead of building a jersey barrier or guard rail, they want to lower the speed limit to 55...like it's really going to solve the problem.

The only states where detectors are illegal are Virginia and DC (although its not really a state). I rarely drive in VA, and there's hardly ever a chance to speed in the urban environs of DC, so that shouldn't be much of a problem.